Rocky Pond Winery 2016 Double D Vineyard Malbec

It’s rare for the exact same wine to be awarded a Platinum in back-to-back years, but this 2016 estate-grown Malbec by Wine Press Northwest’s 2019 Washington Winery to Watch is showing even better that it did at the 2018 Platinum. That’s reflected in the “Double Platinum” — a unanimous vote by the judging panel — during the October 2019 judging. Rocky Pond business manager Jonathan Kaczmarek earned a finance degree at the University of Wisconsin prior to making wine at Seattle cult producer Soos Creek. These days, the Northwest Wine Academy grad gets a few opportunities to oversee some of the small-lot projects at Rocky Pond for the Dufenhorst family and GM/head winemaker Shane Collins. This Malbec grown in the proposed Rocky Reach American Viticultural Area not only continues to prove Kaczmarek hasn’t lost his touch, but it also provides a glimpse into the potential of David Dufenhorst’s Double D Vineyard along the Columbia River downstream from Chelan Falls. Fruit is dominant from the fragrant berry aroma to the opulent blueberry, blackberry and plum flavors saturating the palate. Nicely integrated oak, brown sugar and a dusting of sweet herbs completes the lovely package. It earned its way into the 2019 Platinum via a gold medal at two competitions - a double gold at the 2019 Seattle Wine Awards and an “Outstanding!” rating during the Wine Press Northwest “Bordeaux Gems” tasting last winter.